A/N: Many thanks to all of you who had reviewed. It is very much appreciated.
THE MORNING AFTER - CHAPTER 4
"Let me see her!"
Mac and Hawkes dug their heels into the floor, straining to hold the furious Danny back. A nurse stood several feet off to the side, careful not to be in his war path. Danny was livid; his entire face was red and his eyes bulged out from their sockets. The nurse had never seen such ferocity from anyone.
"Sir, you need to calm down. Miss Monroe is in a small coma; you must wait out here."
Her face was showered with spittle as Danny roared, "You cannot hold me here forever; I will see her."
"Yes, but not now. She is seriously injured and must rest."
Danny flared his nostrils. It was clear he was not in his right mind. "Let go! Lindsay needs me!"
He slumped to the floor as Mac landed a chop to his neck. The elder CSI shook his head apologetically as he picked up the limp young man.
"Sorry Danny, but it was for your own good."
---
As the hours passed by, Lindsay continued to slip in and out of consciousness. The intensity of the attack had overpowered her senses, and she lay motionless in the hospital bed, the moonlight filtering through the window and pooling onto the pale sheets. Her entire body was covered in bruises, her hair mangled and features twisted in agony. Every few minutes a nurse would come by and check on the young woman, whose wounds had been dressed and given a nightgown. She was in her own room, the extent of the rape so severe that the doctors were vigilant about her being in the same vicinity as another patient.
Doctors came and went, and Lindsay remained deep in slumber.
---
The first thing that Danny felt when he awoke was a throbbing pain in the back of his neck. Rubbing the spot gingerly, he lifted his eyes to see Mac and the team watching him. They were seated in the hospital waiting room, not far from where Lindsay rested.
"What happened?" He asked groggily, still slightly dazed from Mac's blow.
Stella patted his shoulder gently and changed the subject. "We're about to hear Lindsay's results."
At the mention of her name, Danny became alert. "Is she-" he was afraid to finish the sentence lest his worst fears be confirmed.
Stella shook her head. "No, she's alive, but still sleeping. The doctor did some tests on her."
As if on cue, an older male sauntered into the solemn room, clutching a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. Taking a seat beside Hawkes, he stared at each of them before clearing his throat and speaking.
"Good morning to you all. I am Dr. Evans, the one monitoring Lindsay's activity. I must say that Miss Monroe is quite a fighter. I found defensive wounds on her arms and legs. Unfortunately, she lost the battle. Vaginal tears confirm it was indeed a rape, and a brutal one at that. She was conscious through the entire process, and as soon as I finished she slipped off again. She should be awake in another few hours, and you all can see her then. Until that time, I would like a few words with you, Detective Taylor."
Mac nodded to his colleagues and headed out with the doctor. All eyes fell upon Danny, who was breathing heavily. Stella placed a reassuring but firm hand on his wrist, and he noted this before sighing and leaned back into the chair. Things were looking grim for Lindsay, and the team was faring no better. The rape was beginning to take a toll on all of them, especially Danny who suddenly rose from his seat in silence. The others watched as he dragged himself out of the room, not prepared to chase after him. They knew that in order to figure things out, he needed his own space.
Danny found a small room almost right beside the waiting area and flung his tired body onto the couch, thoughts swimming around his mind like a dark maelstrom. He was still unable to comprehend that Lindsay had been raped, but what bothered him more was the identity of the perpetrator, which at this moment only Lindsay knew. However, he knew the symptoms and was fully aware of her trying to defend whoever committed the evil crime. It was not unusual for a rape victim to attempt to cover up the suspect, fearing they would find out and thus attacking them or their families. Danny was prepared to protect Lindsay at all costs, and if that meant giving his life to save her, then so be it.
A sense of helplessness washed over him like a great wave, and he closed his eyes to gather his screaming thoughts, waiting patiently for Lindsay to awaken from her dark cavern.
---
Hours turned into days, and Lindsay was still in the hospital being carefully monitored. Evans wanted to be absolutely sure that she was well and strong enough before going back home. Stella took care of the housing problem, offering her apartment up for as long as needed. Everyone agreed on this; they were not willing to allow Lindsay back into the apartment, even after the team had processed it. Mac and Stella had found usual rape signs: torn and bloody sheets, strands of hair and bodily fluids, and some disturbance in the room. The blood came back to Lindsay, but in order to have a detailed account of the rape, they needed to know who attacked her. The young woman was still in a state of shock, and so they decided to wait until she had recovered well enough to relate the horrific tale to the best of her ability.
Every single one of them knew this would prove difficult, but they were determined to help Lindsay and bring the rapist to justice.
---
It was on the eighth day when a startling discovery was made. Lindsay was groggy but awake, complying with an examination to make sure everything was at least alright for the time being. Not wanting to take any chances, Dr. Evans made her remain in the hospital. Wary of certain situations that could arise from the result of a rape, he did an evaluation of Lindsay's internal organs, focusing specifically on her reproductive system.
Evans handed the test results to Mac, who looked them over with a furrowed brow. All were present to hear what he had to say.
"Is this conclusive?" He tried to swallow the large lump in his throat.
The doctor nodded. "I'm afraid so." He turned his gaze to the team, who all knew what Mac was reading. The color in Danny's face had drained, and he looked like someone who had seen a few too many years. It was like a nightmare, one from which he could not awaken.
Lindsay was pregnant.